9/10. Extremely gratifying and intense, especially considering the crap that was Origins. The action was intense, Jackman looked, sounded, and really embodied Logan in this film, more so than the previous films. He was a gruff ******* and a complete badass. My only real nitpick was the lack of Logan fighting Ninjas. I expected that scene to last a little longer, and I was disappointed, as that is essential iconography from Claremont and Miller's book.

But, nonetheless, I don't think I've ever been so happy to see those bone claws before. A real crowd-pleaser.

Oh, and that post-credits scene? My excitement for DOFP exploded. Fox is finally getting it right.

__________________

If any character has ever earned the right to enjoy a happy retirement, it is Bruce Wayne. Nolan ought to be commended for caring enough about the character and believing enough in his own vision to provide a definitive, satisfying ending to the story of an ordinary man who turned tragedy into the motivation to accomplish something extraordinary.

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

Nick Mundy is the real-life equivalent of Youtube comment: Sure I may be wrong, but I'm loud, so everyone listens to me.

Despite the credits intermission scene not living up to my lofty expectations, it's nice to also be thinking about the future.

Agree with this, I was hoping the ninja fight would be a little more epic and like the comic book but it was edited to hell.

Thankfully I read Mangold tweet yesterday that the extended cut is finished so there is a strong chance we will get that longer ninja fight at some point, just a shame it wasnt on the big screen. Still it looked stunning.

And yeah the post credits scene was kind of weak to me too, not bad just nothing as special others had made out.

The first time I saw it, my reaction was that it was darker and nastier than the previous X-Men films, and it is...but this time I also noticed what a beautiful film it is as well. It deals with a whole side of Logan that we've never seen before, and getting to see him as badass and vulnerable in this movie was incredible. It's easily Hugh's best performance as Wolverine.

I was also able to notice more this time all of the backstabbing and plots going on with the villians, as well as Shingen's hatred of mutants (which I didn't catch at all the first time). I also picked up how Mariko was watching Logan fight at the funeral, and it was like she was realizing now that this was the man her grandfather had told her about, and how it changed her attitude towards him after that.

As for the much-debated third act...I'm still good with it. The whole story of the movie is really leading up to it, so I'm not entirely sure why anyone was surprised that there was some big sinister plot going to be revealed by the end. It's why they were after Wolverine in the first place.

But wow...James Mangold brought our guy back in fighting style, and I can't thank him enough for it.

I can't wait to see it again.

__________________”We live in times when hate and fear seem stronger. We rise and fall, and light from dying embers: remembrances that hope and love last longer. And love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside."

Agree with this, I was hoping the ninja fight would be a little more epic and like the comic book but it was edited to hell.

Thankfully I read Mangold tweet yesterday that the extended cut is finished so there is a strong chance we will get that longer ninja fight at some point, just a shame it wasnt on the big screen. Still it looked stunning.

And yeah the post credits scene was kind of weak to me too, not bad just nothing as special others had made out.

YES!!! The movie is sorely missing the rest of that fight.

I loved the post-credits scene. I managed to see it without having it spoiled for me in advance, and it had been so hyped up at that point that I kept basically lowering my expectations for whatever it was so I wouldn't overhype it for myself. I thought it was perfect.

__________________”We live in times when hate and fear seem stronger. We rise and fall, and light from dying embers: remembrances that hope and love last longer. And love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside."

The first time I saw it, my reaction was that it was darker and nastier than the previous X-Men films, and it is...but this time I also noticed what a beautiful film it is as well. It deals with a whole side of Logan that we've never seen before, and getting to see him as badass and vulnerable in this movie was incredible. It's easily Hugh's best performance as Wolverine.

I was also able to notice more this time all of the backstabbing and plots going on with the villians, as well as Shingen's hatred of mutants (which I didn't catch at all the first time). I also picked up how Mariko was watching Logan fight at the funeral, and it was like she was realizing now that this was the man her grandfather had told her about, and how it changed her attitude towards him after that.

As for the much-debated third act...I'm still good with it. The whole story of the movie is really leading up to it, so I'm not entirely sure why anyone was surprised that there was some big sinister plot going to be revealed by the end. It's why they were after Wolverine in the first place.

But wow...James Mangold brought our guy back in fighting style, and I can't thank him enough for it.

I can't wait to see it again.

When Logan stabbed the guy through the door it was visually superb, the way Logans face is obscured by the window, makes him look like the dangerous killer we all know he is, a hidden animal. Mangold understands the character of Wolverine nobody can deny that

I loved the post-credits scene. I managed to see it without having it spoiled for me in advance, and it had been so hyped up at that point that I kept basically lowering my expectations for whatever it was so I wouldn't overhype it for myself. I thought it was perfect.

TO be honest I am not a huge fan of post scredit scenes, yes they are nice but serve little more than trailers to the next film. It was probably just built up too much in my head I expected something more.

Perhaps the biggest problem was my head was trying to recover and comprehend the film I had just seen while the credits rolled, plus I was really enjoying the credits music at the time

When Logan stabbed the guy through the door it was visually superb, the way Logans face is obscured by the window, makes him look like the dangerous killer we all know he is, a hidden animal. Mangold understands the character of Wolverine nobody can deny that

Agreed. Even that bath scene, when he's walking out afterwards, he looked like he was about to kill someone. It actually got one of the biggest laughs from my audience tonight.

This was the surliest we've ever seen him too. His attitude for the entire movie is, "I just don't give a flying **** what you think." It's great.

I love the scene too when he wakes up in the vet's office. He's not just out of it at first, it's like he's not sure what he's feeling because he's not used to being in pain like that.

__________________”We live in times when hate and fear seem stronger. We rise and fall, and light from dying embers: remembrances that hope and love last longer. And love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside."

TO be honest I am not a huge fan of post scredit scenes, yes they are nice but serve little more than trailers to the next film. It was probably just built up too much in my head I expected something more.

Perhaps the biggest problem was my head was trying to recover and comprehend the film I had just seen while the credits rolled, plus I was really enjoying the credits music at the time

To me I couldn't pay attention to the mid-credits scene because the last few scenes of the movie were still in my head.

But for a mid-credits scene, it was really good especially for people who didn't expect to see it. And btw a lot of people in the theater I went didn't get to see it, if only they knew!

Ha yeah I love Mariko in this scene, and then Logan goes to shake his hand and the guys petrofied. "You may have stabbed him once or twice during the proceedure"

And also:

"Is he a doctor?"
"Of sorts, a vetinarian"
"oh"
"student"

Perfect timing as well, she really was great in the role.

The look on Logans face, priceless. Hugh really is the best at what he does

That was funny. That poor guy...

I loved the exchange between him and Mariko there too:

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

"I've never needed this before."
"Help?"

He was trying to save her, but she was the one saving him.

__________________”We live in times when hate and fear seem stronger. We rise and fall, and light from dying embers: remembrances that hope and love last longer. And love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside."

Yeah I think this is the thing with the reviews, moments like this will be lost unless you know the background of Logan. But I really like we got a film made for Wolverine fans this time, Origins was more for xmen fans.

Still I need another viewing before I post my review and give it a score, still much to ponder on, its a film that stays with you after the credits which is good sign

This is the Wolverine film I was hoping for. Logan stabbing ninjas left and right , like a boss. Also there was some nice introspection about his mortality. I had some minor issues with the end , but overall it was really enjoyable. 8/10

Also the people in theater went nuts for the post credit scene. I think it surprised a lot of them. I know I'm pumped.

So, just got back from the midnight showing tonight. I definitely enjoyed it, a big, BIG improvement over Origins. However, there were some rather gaping plot holes I thought, that ultimately held the film back from being great. As it stands, I'd put it in ranking of a film a bit better then Captain America, and not quite as good as Iron Man 1.

Before I get into this, I want to preface it by saying that the original Claremont four issue mini is my all time favorite Wolverine story. It's what made me love Wolverine as a character, and not only that, but is also the single story arc that elevated Wolverine's character as a whole. So even though I tried to keep my expectations tempered, I still had some definite expectations for this movie.

The original story's theme is the theme that has come to define Wolverine's character after decades (and sadly, is the one theme that has yet to be portrayed well in any of his films). It highlights Logan's struggle between his animal side, and his desire to be an honorable warrior. Everything in the original story highlights that struggle, right down to Wolverine's love interests. Mariko represents the order,tructure, and peace Wolverine wishes he could achieve, Yukio represents his wild unrestrained nature.

Given that, I was disappointed that this film didn't address this issue at all. But I knew this was an adaptation going in. So I did my best to judge this film solely on it's merits.

Overall, the film does a much better job examining Logan as a character. It was nice to really have it play with his struggle with immortality, something that had been only touched on briefly. The actors in this all handle themselves very well. Jackman brings his A-game to this, getting the closest to Wolverine's true character we've seen since X1/X2. Yukio and Mariko are both enjoyable (and very natural), and Shingen solid job as the unbalanced and vengeful power-hungry villain. The fight sequences are by far the best we've seen Logan involved in. That was something I was very glad to see. Until now, it seemed that no-one quite understood how to portray Wolverine in a proper action sequence. The closest we had gotten until now was the Wolverine vs. the soldiers in X2, but the fights in this movie finally have the intensity and ferocity that Wolverine needs. The film is also shot beautifully, and the cinematography really was a joy to watch at times.

Now...the more unfavorable parts. As many have said, the actress playing Viper just doesn't seem to fit, for a few reasons. First, she played her part like she was in a different film, and secondly, her character was completely unneeded. I'm not being dramatic with this comment either, quite literally everything her character does could have been accomplished without including her. She only took time away from the other characters, and the film suffers from it.

The biggest flaw though, is that the big twist at the end of the film (which isn't all that hard to guess)...is really completely and totally non-nonsensical. Not nonsensical in the sense that it didn't make sense given character motivations, but nonsensical because there was literally no reason to do it.

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

The entire time old Yashida wants Wolverine's powers. I get that, but at no point did it make sense for him to fake his death. The reason his plan gets put on hold to begin with is because he fakes his death and proclaims Mariko the head of his company, which leads to Wolverine saving Mariko from her father (and finance's) assassination attempts. Had he not faked his death, Wolverine still would have been weakened, and made easier to capture. In fact, I'm not sure why they didn't capture Wolverine that very night. Why the old man faked his death made no sense.

The most disappointing thing to me was that Shingin was regulated to more of a side villain, with his father being the true mastermind, which I really was too bad. I wished that they had stayed truer to the spirit of the comic and kept the story more personal.

Once the twist is revealed, the rest of the plot basically unravels, which is a shame. And that's the biggest flaw, if you're going to do a Noir, the mystery has to make sense, otherwise the audience won't go along with it.

The good news is that the acting and the action are good enough that we can forgive the half-thought out plot. So, is this the perfect Wolverine movie? No, it's not. But it's definitely a step in the right direction.

9/10. Extremely gratifying and intense, especially considering the crap that was Origins. The action was intense, Jackman looked, sounded, and really embodied Logan in this film, more so than the previous films. He was a gruff ******* and a complete badass. My only real nitpick was the lack of Logan fighting Ninjas. I expected that scene to last a little longer, and I was disappointed, as that is essential iconography from Claremont and Miller's book.

But, nonetheless, I don't think I've ever been so happy to see those bone claws before. A real crowd-pleaser.

Oh, and that post-credits scene? My excitement for DOFP exploded. Fox is finally getting it right.

My preferred climax

Spoiler!!! Click to Read!:

would have been more grounded, grittier, and closer to the Wolverine mini-series: longer Wolverine and Yukio vs ninjas, Yukio vs Viper, Wolverine vs Shingen wearing Silver Samurai armor. I didn't like the Yashida twist. It would have been the best superhero movie ever if it maintained the tone and mood of the 1st 2 acts IMO.

Ok, so... where to begin... I think I'll just go with the MoS structure.

Direction: Magold is a master at what he does. And that's creating tension and having it followed by relaxed, real character moments. And this movie is full of that, up until the climax. Even though the climax requires OTT action, I'd say he holds hiw own pretty well. But he gets to do quite a few Mangold-isms, which is a good thing, the guy always has been a hell of a director.

Story: Really strong one, I must say. This is a deconstruction, much more than what IM3 claims to be. They share some similarities (2012-13 are the years of fall-rise, it seems), but TW actually bothers to deal with them. And the fact that they set it in Japan, other than paying tribute to the Wolverine comics, drives the point home.

Screenplay: Very very good. Aside from a couple misplaced one-liners, the dialogues work, they develop most of the characters and, even though you might foresee a couple twists coming, it's tight and it serves the narrative. Humor's great, too. Hugh helps in that respect, but the jokes are mostly well-placed, not OTT and actually add to the character development. That was refreshing!

Characters: Well, I felt Shingen was a bit wasted, but that's mainly because of my preconceptions of the actor that was playing him. Yukio was a show-stealer. Viper wasn't as annoying as I thought she would be. She was certainly out of place compared to the rest, though. Mariko was one of the best love interests in a CBM. Yashida was one of the better villains this and every year. I actually liked Harada's purpose and function in the movie. Jean was a welcome addition as Logan's guilt incarnate (and nothing more, this isn't Jean's ghost, people) and is basically the driving force of the movie. And Wolverine... well... I don't want to say much, but this WAS Wolverine. Finally. They got him right. The cussing (even if it's light), the ferocity, the demeanor, the attitude, the physicality. I'm glad. GLAD.

Themes: It's a story about generations, about selfishness and selflessness, about ninjas and samurais, about letting go of the past and the pain, about what REALLY makes a person what he/she is. You'll notice some similarities to TDKR and it deals with some of them in a (imo) more satisfying way than that movie. Not all of them hit home, though, hence my not perfect scoring of TW.

Performances: Ah, Hugh, Hugh, Hugh. You ARE the Wolverine, height be damned. This isn't a case of Keaton or RDJ, this is a guy who loves the character and tries to give and give and give in every movie he stars as Logan. He reinvents himself and his performance. Honestly, I didn't find any weak performance in the film, considering what everyone had to do in it. Even Svetlana as Viper was appropriate and was wisely and visibly toned down by Mangold to fit the movie.

Cinematography: Other than the fact that it's digital, it's a beautiful movie. I can't help but imagine how much more beautiful it would've been had it been shot in film. Still, it captures Japan really well.

Music: Show-stealer. Marco's come a long way since his Scream days. Reflective, esoteric, with action cues that belong to an action thriller. This movie has the definitive Wolverine theme for me. And it's not "heroic". It's hopeful, with an underlying sense of tragedy. A very fresh addition to the franchise. One of the best parts of the movie for me.

Action: Look, kids, you can see what's going on in this movie! And the action works, wait for it... because yiou care for the damn characters, too! But seriously, the set pieces are quite good and it was refreshing to see more personal and toned down battles, as opposed to grander and more epic. Those are my favorite kind, anyway, so it's all good. Although, the ninja "fight" was cut down as hell. I'm sure the Extended Edition will do it justice, though. The trailers tease something far bigger than we got.

CGI: Stellar, for the most part. The opening scene is haunting.

Editing: Solid. More than solid. It serves the story and does justice to performances. The movie breathes where it has to and has tension where it needs it. Edited like a thriller rather than a CBM movie.

Overall: I love it. It doesn't have peaks or moments that make you go "HOLY ****, WHAT DID I JUST WITNESS, RAPEMENOWOMG!", but it was balanced, it developed its characters well, it had a believable and sweet romance, it drove most its points home, it was respectful to the characters and the audience, it had its fair share of action. Even the climax wasn't as OTT as I feared, because it was in line with the rest of the movie, thematically and character-wise. Same goes for Viper. I can see Poison Ivy comparisons, but only conceptually. Otherwise, not even damn close. I, uh... this is a special movie to me now.
As for the mid credit scene? It was like loving chocolate, and getting a cake you thought only has chocolate icing, only to discover it's full of chocolate! It's cemented X-DoFP as my most anticipated movie next year AND it made me care because of the entire character arc for Logan in TW. Where this movie leaves him... he's ready to be what X-DoFP needs him to be. And it was very nice to hear his TW theme play over that scene, where he gets to interact with X and Magneto. It was beautiful and helps connect the movies. Beautiful.

A SOLID 8/10 (will watch a 2nd time just to let this all sink more in me)